Karateka
- Genres
- Fighting Hack and slash/Beat 'em up
- Platforms
- DOS · Commodore C64/128/MAX · Amstrad CPC · ZX Spectrum · MSX · Android · iOS · Atari 7800 · Atari ST/STE · Atari 8-bit · Apple II · Family Computer · PC-9800 Series
- Release
- Apple II 1984 Month only Family Computer Dec 05, 1985 Atari 8-bit 1985 Month only Commodore C64/128/MAX 1985 Month only DOS 1986 Month only Atari 7800 1987 Month only PC-9800 Series Nov 01, 1988 Atari ST/STE 1988 Month only Amstrad CPC 1990 Month only MSX 1990 Month only ZX Spectrum 1990 Month only iOS May 03, 2013 Android May 16, 2013
- Credits
-
AC
Atari Corporation
BS
Brøderbund Software
JM
Jordan Mechner
D
DotEmu
SP
Soft Pro International
DS
Dro Soft
- Board status
- —
About
Karateka is a 1984 beat'em up video game by Jordan Mechner, and was his first game created while attending Yale University. It was originally programmed for the Apple II, and was later ported to several other home computers and early gaming consoles. The game was published in North America by Brøderbund, and in Europe by Ariolasoft. The player controls an unnamed protagonist who is attempting to rescue his love interest, the Princess Mariko, from Akuma's castle fortress. The game exhibits a combination of a side-scrolling platform and fighting game elements. The player uses punches and kicks to defeat Akuma and his guards and make his way deeper into the fortress. The game, as with most at the time of development, lacked checkpoints or the ability to save the game, making it a challenge to complete in a single sitting. Karateka has been well-received, particularly for its realistic animations used for the game's characters. The game was considered a breakthrough success for Mechner, and would eventually result in his development of the Prince of Persia franchise. A high-definition remake, spearheaded by Mechner, was released as a downloadable title for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, with planned ports for the iOS and Wii U systems.
